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Friday, February 11, 2011

Guest Author and Give away: Commander Pants

Hi there everybody.

I’m Commander Pants, and for 20 I worked as a mental health outreach counselor, helping a mostly schizophrenic population survive independently. These were some of the most amazingly original human beings that you could ever hope to meet, each with their own way of seeing the world. Or, to put it another way, they each had their own delusions. This got me thinking, what if they were right and the rest of us “sane” people were the ones that had it all wrong? It’s that thought that led me to write Whom God Would Destroy, a whimsical novel about what happens when “God” returns to Earth to goof on humanity once more. As you might guess, the book is a wee bit satirical and tips a few sacred cows along the way, questioning not only organized religion and psychiatry, but also the very nature of reality. The theme that ties everything together is to always be open to possibility, something that I truly think could make for a better world. Consider for a moment how open to wonder an infant is.

My parents told me that one of my favorite toys in my pre-toddler days was an empty cigarette box. It would occupy me for hours as I put something inside, closed the lid, and then a moment later opened it to find it still there! Wow!! Sadly, these days that parlor trick doesn’t do much for me, and that’s because I know that if I close something in a box, it will be there when I reopen it.

But, what if we could turn back the clock on all of our preconceived notions and experience every event through infant eyes? Try this: the next time your daughter knows that there’s a flesh-sucking monster in her closet, don’t rush to assure her that she’s wrong – hell, who knows, maybe she’s onto something. True, it may not do much for her sleeping habits, but it will certainly add some spice to your life. (If you don’t have a kid, perhaps you could borrow a neighbor’s for this exercise.)

Preconceived notions can also get in the way of the truth. Years ago I had a friend who was a psychiatrist, and he related this story that’s always stuck with me.

One night, when he was still a resident, he was in the ER after having worked for 20 hours straight. That’s when a woman was brought in hysterically screaming that she needed someone to save her family from the mad doctor who was holding them hostage while doing cancer experiments on them. Well, this was a no-brainer. He signed her commitment papers as “delusional” and had her shipped of to Bellevue.

Two nights later the next hysterical person was brought to the ER. The cops had grabbed this nutcase after he leapt through a second story window. They were sure he needed medicating because his story was so off the wall: get this…a doctor was holding his family hostage and doing cancer experiments on them! Well, soon there was a little musical chairs going on at Bellevue, as a woman was being released and an oncologist was taking her place.

I guess all I’m trying to say is that life is, to quote the Beatles, one big Magical Mystery Tour, as long as keep an open mind. So, the next time Henny Penny tells you that the sky is falling, you might just want to look up. And the next time that magician pulls a rabbit out of his hat, maybe you shouldn’t be so surprised.

The author is giving away one paperback copy of WHOM GOD WOULD DESTROY! This give away is open only for US, Canada and UK.

All you have to do is follow me, leave a comment with your name and email or if you don't want to leave your email, just comment and send me your email here : kaori.books@gmail.com with the subject "Commander Pants give away". This give away will end on February 24 and the winner will be announced on February 25.